Form-reducing corset.



S. PLORSHEIM. FORM REDUCING CORSET. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24, ms.

Patented Jan;19, 1909.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SIMON FLORSHEIM, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO KABO CORSET COMPANY,OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

FORM-REDUCING CORSET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. February 24, 1908.

Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

Serial No. 7,571.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SruoN FLoRsHnIM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Form-Reducing Corsets,of which the following is a specification.

This invention more particularly relates to corsets intended to regulateor reduce the abdominal proportions of the wearer; and the object of theinvention is to provide means for varying or distributing the reducingpressure exerted on the abdomen to the desired extent.

Another object of the invention is to so connect the form reducing flapswith the remainder of the corset that the latter can be easily hooked upand thereafter the tension on the flap regulated by lacing, which is amuch more satisfactory and hygienic method of adjusting the corset thanthe methods which have ordinarily been used in corsets of this generalstyle employing studs and eyelets or similar attaching means. Theobjection to the latter form of corset lies in the fact that it ispractically impossible to hook the eyelet, on the form reducing flap, toplace after the corset has been hooked up, by reason of the extremetension required to draw in the flap to the extent necessary to serveits function of reducing the abdominal proportions; and, furthermore, itis necessary, in the employment of eyelets, to secure the flap at but asingle point, so that variations in the degree of tension and adistribution or adjustment of the tension are impossible.

In corsets of previous styles it has been necessary to first secure theends of the form reducing flaps to the body sections of the corset andthereafter hook up the corset, which is a difficult and unhygienicoperation.

The present invention enables the wearer to hook up a relatively loosecorset and thereafter tighten up, by lacings, the form reducing flapsand vary the tension, both in degree and in its distribution, to a muchgreater extent than has been possible in previous constructions of thestyle referred to.

The drawing illustrates the corset of the present invention, showing oneof the flaps tightened up to its fullest extent and the other flaploose.

The corset proper 1 is of any usual and Well known form, and is adaptedto have its front edges secured together by clasps 2 on the front steels3 of the corset body. Near the lower or abdominal portion of the corset,on each side of the front edges thereof, are located a pair of flaps 4,of slightly convergent formation toward the inner or free edges 5, whichflaps are secured at their outer edges 6 to the body of the corset,slightly forward of the hi portion thereof. The lower edges 7 of thenaps extend in substantially horizontal line, slightly above the loweredge of the corset, and the upper edges 8 extend in a sloping ordiagonal line and downwardly converge toward one another. The inneredges 5 are provided with loops 9 of continuous formation sufficient innumber to provide for a very considerable adjustment of the parts. Theedge 5, furthermore, is sufficiently long to permit considerabledistribution and variation of the tension exerted on different portionsof the abdomen. The loops 9 register witn companion loops 10 ofcontinuous formation secured to the covering of the corset steels 8, andthe loops 9 and 10 have passed therethrough a lacing 11. The corset iscompleted by the provision of the usual garter straps 12, which areattached to the lower edge of the corset proper.

Inadjusting the corset, the reducing flaps are loosened by withdrawingthe lacings, as shown to the left of the figure, and the corset ishooked up in the usual manner. When thus hooked up the inner edges ofthe form reducing flap will normally he a considerable distance from thecorset steels on the front edges of the corset. By pulling the lacestight the edges of the flaps will be drawn toward one another, therebydrawing in on the abdomen in a gradual and hygienic manner. Furthermore,the distribution of the tension can be regulated to a considerabledegree by ightening the lacings at the bottom to a greater extent thanat the top, and vice versa, so that the tension will be distributed overa considerable portion of the abdomen rather than centered at a certainpoint, as has been the practice in certain previous constructions. Thisgreatly facilitates the adjustment of the corset and at the same timeserves to substantially reduce the abdominal proportions.

What I regard as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a form reducing corset, the combination of a pair of flapssecured, at their outer edges, to the lower or abdominal portion of thecorset and provided with inner edges vertically extending in parallelrelation with respect to the front edges of the corset for a istancesufficient to permit substantially vertical distribution of the pressureexerted onthe abdomen, fastening means for lacings extending along theinner edges of the flaps from top to bottom thereof, fastening means forlacings extending along the front edges of the corset adjacent the frontsteels, and lacings entered through said fastening means for regulatingthe tension exerted on the flaps, substantially as described.

2. In a form reducing corset, the combination of a pair of flaps havingtheir lower edges in substantially parallel relation with the bottom ofthe corset andhaving theirfront or inner edges parallel with the frontsides of the corset and of a length to extend over a major portion ofthe abdomen, and having upwardly sloping upper edges, and having theirrear edges connected with the body of the corset slightly forward ofthehips thereof, loops on the inner edges of the flaps, companionloopson the corset body adj acent'the front steels, and lacings runthrough said loops and adapted to regulate the tension exerted on theflaps and permit vertical adjustment of said tension, substantially asde scribed.

8. In a form reducing corset, the combination of a pair of flaps securedat their outer edges to the body ofthe corset and'provided with inneredges vertically extending inparallel relation with the edges of thecorset, loops of continuous formation formed on the edge of the flaps,similar loops formed on the body of the corset, and lacings extendingthroughsaid loops for regulating the tension on the flaps, substantiallyas described.

SIMON FLORSHEIM.

Vfitnesses:

WALKER BANNING, PIERSON W. BANNING.

